This invention relates to a picture image input/output system, and more particularly to a picture image input/output system which enlarges or reduces at a designated magnification and color-separates each original color picture by means of an image scanning device such as a color scanner to obtain color separation signals, and processes the color separation signals for appropriate color correction, sharpness enhancement and gradation conversion, and sequentially outputs images on a recording material in a lay-out which is commanded by a lay-out command data inputted by a digitizer or the like.
There has been proposed a method for laying out each one of color separated films of plural original color pictures by preparing a screened color-separated film in a predetermined magnification out of respective original pictures by means of a color scanner, and then laying out and composing a masked separation printer which is prepared separately and the screened color-separated film on lay-out sheet and then contact-exposing them to obtain a laid-out color-separated film for each color. The method, however, is defective in that it requires a large number of complex processing steps, much time and labor, materials and a high degree of skill for registering the color-separated films at predetermined positions on the lay-out sheet for composing. There has been also proposed another method for reproducing a laid out color picture image by colorprinting plural original color pictures respectively at predetermined magnification, and then cutting out the thus prepared reproduction of original pictures in a predetermined rough-sketch form and laying out and composing them at a predetermined position on a base paper. This method, however, is problematic in its image quality because as this method involves the use of photographic techniques, it is impossible to arbitrarily change the processing conditions for color correction, sharpness enhancement, gradation conversion and so on. A device to output rectangular picture images in laid-out form by means of plural input devices, for example that which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 31762/1977, has been contrived; however, the device cannot deal with arbitrary diagrams, and requires manual operation for preparing masked plates, and needs plural input scanning means for the color manuscript input.
In recent years a total-system or a lay-out retouching system has been proposed for processing in printing. Graphic patterns are inputted by a digitizer so as to display the graphic and image patterns on a color CRT (Braun tube) according to the system. Original color pictures are color-scanned at a predetermined magnification, AID-converted and stored in a memory such as a magnetic disk. The stored original color picture data are displayed on the color CRT in accordance with inputted graphic data, and edited in a main memory unit of a computer using interactive inputs and stored again in a magnetic disk or the like in a format corresponding to an output picture image. The thus edited color picture image data are then D/A-converted, and inputted to an output control circuit of a color scanner to obtain a picture image in a desired lay-out. The above mentioned lay-out retouching system, however, is defective in that it requires a magnetic disk or other media of a large capacity for storing data for original color pictures, and needs a high-speed computer for the editing process, thereby pushing up the cost for constructing such systems, and extending the time required for editing.